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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. staff — employees
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. stock — shares
  5. chest — of your body
  6. charge — a price
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. staff — a stick
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. chest — of your body
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. stock — goods
  14. chest — a box
  15. staff — employees
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — in control
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. wave — a sudden rise

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com